


Scars Inside & Out [FAIR GAME ONESHOT]

by KaziKreatures



Category: RWBY
Genre: #gotta get that sweet sweet fair game, #im not sorry for this, #lmao this is angsty, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:01:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25351306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaziKreatures/pseuds/KaziKreatures
Summary: An AU where Clover lives? Why of course!Qrow manages to get to see Clover after the events of V7, Ch12...(Mild language warning at the end!)
Relationships: Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi
Comments: 2
Kudos: 20





	Scars Inside & Out [FAIR GAME ONESHOT]

**Author's Note:**

> I actually wrote this little piece a few months ago! I just gave it some touch ups to make it ~brand new~ and suitable to post! Hope you enjoy! :D

Sitting in the rear of the Atlesian airship sat a distressed man, his gray streaked hair a mess, crimson eyes dull, hands fidgeting together. He was on his way to Atlas, as he had plenty of times before, but this time was impossibly different. The air around him weighed heavily with negative energy, all sprouting from his spinning mind. It made the air thick and trapping, as if it would never clear. Qrow hated this feeling, this dread. He hated dread, and it seemed it would only linger.

Proven correct, it seemed. The ship landed abruptly, ripping Qrow away from his thoughts. His head tilted upward toward the door as it opened. He stood, took a deep breath, and walked down the ramp provided. A car was waiting for him, thank the Gods. He got in the back seat, and as the driver veered onto the busy roads, they made it clear that they were already aware of the destination. And judging by the slouched posture, anxious leg bouncing, and sullen eyes, the driver came to the conclusion that they probably shouldn’t ask exactly  _ why _ .

They passed by several scenes among the streets of Atlas, but Qrow couldn’t pay attention. He was swallowed by his thoughts once more, gazing down at the back of the passenger’s seat and covering his mouth with his hand, bouncing his leg. Anxiety was so evident, it was as if he was made of it. It continued to weigh on the air around him, even making the driver worried. Several times, they’d turned around to check on their passenger, but didn’t say a word.

It felt like far too long of a drive when they reached their destination.

Atlas Regional Hospital.

Qrow swallowed the lump in his throat, and fighting his dread, he walked up the flight of stairs to the large front doors. Just walking up the stairs was a challenge, even more so when he approached the front desk. He placed his hands on the counter, unable to stop their anxious fidgeting, and cleared his throat, getting the attention of the receptionist.

"I’m, uh… I'm here to see Clover Ebi." He muttered. The receptionist nodded, had him sign a lengthy paper, then sent him off to a nurse, who was to guide him to the man in question's room. 

"Don't be loud. He's still recovering." The nurse warned sternly, though quietly, before letting Qrow enter the room.

The sound of the door behind him coming to a close seemed to be the reason Qrow had frozen, but it of course hadn't been that. Seeing Clover lying in a hospital bed? That’s what made him freeze up. His stomach churned as he carefully assessed the situation. IVs, the steady beeping of the heart monitor, that  _ disgustingly _ bland hospital gown... Those are what caught his attention.

It took him far too long to get himself together.

Seafoam green hues blinked open, far before Qrow was ready to see them. Still, they rested on Qrow to the best of their abilities. He opened his mouth to speak, a small smile curving his lips.

"Hey." His voice was raspy, but full of emotion.

Qrow was unable to make himself move forward. Even so, Clover slowly and carefully sat up, patting the space beside him to encourage the other to have a seat. Qrow quietly pulled up a chair to the side of the bed and sat, placing his hands on his lap and holding them together, nails digging into the palms as he clenched his fists.

Awkward, tense silence hung over the two for about a minute and a half before Qrow put his forehead to the bed and sighed, clearly shaky, holding back tears that were ready to overflow.

"I'm so sorry." He croaked. "I'm so sorry, I could've stopped him, I could've just  _ thought _ -" He started to ramble, but Clover shushed him softly, gently patting his head with a gentle hand.

"It wasn't your fault… your bad luck must've affected Tyrian… he missed." He chuckled softly, a small cough making him pause, his other hand raising to hold his chest. He winced and swallowed, but the smile returned.

"Or it was your good luck, you  _ bastard _ ." Qrow croaked, growing a weary smile of his own. "How the hell are you even still here?" He placed his hand on Clover's, rough skin meeting soft as Clover drew his thumb over the back of it. Just his cheerful presence made him feel a bit better.

"He hit too far to the right to get my heart, I think…ribs got the brunt of it all… but they patched me up alright." Clover tightened his grip on Qrow’s hand by a fraction, gaze lifting from said hands to meet his gaze.

"It's gonna leave one hell of a scar." Qrow's voice was thick with concern, the cheerful mood dropping.

"Ah, but that just means another story to tell." Clover quipped, doing his best to bring said mood back up..

"You're such a lucky idiot." Qrow's voice began to shake as his hands were, the repressed emotions surging back up.

"I could say the same for you." Clover smiled at him, eyes gleaming with all the life he'd always had, if not more. 

Qrow sighed, head dipping, forehead coming to a rest on their intertwined hands as he took in a shaking breath. As he rested his head on Clover's hand, tears started to fall onto the soft skin. " _ Shut up _ … I thought I was going to  _ lose you _ , Clover. I didn't want to lose you like I have _ so _ many others…"

"Well, you didn't… and you won't." Clover's hand moved upward to wipe Qrow's falling tears, empathy evident in his movement and voice. "I wouldn't leave you like that, it isn't fair."

"Hah,  _ no shit _ it isn't fair, Clover, life isn't fair."

"I didn’t say it was." The injured man's face dipped into a frown. "I wouldn't want to lose you either. In this way or any other." He reached his other hand over his side to pull Qrow up with both hands, gently guiding him to sit on the bed close to him. Clover held his hand once more and looked to Qrow, eyes glittering softly.

"You can't beat yourself up for this. You had very little choice at the time.You  _ know _ I don't blame you.  _ Tyrian  _ did this, you know that. It's  _ his  _ fault,  _ not  _ yours." Clover put his hand on Qrow's face, the soft smile returning as he wiped his tears away with his thumb. "I  _ can't  _ blame you for his actions. I love you too much to even consider blaming you." He leaned over slightly, giving Qrow a light, reassuring kiss on the lips before leaning back and resting, careful not to open his wounds.

Qrow was, to put it extremely lightly, conflicted. He felt so guilty and terrible, but Clover was so understanding… and then that idiot had to give him that kiss to ease his nerves. It sent his heart ablaze, face red to match the feeling. He turned away from Clover, holding the other man's hand much tighter. "You're a moron." He muttered, flustered.

Clover simply laughed. "I guess that's the closest to 'I love you too, Clover' I'll ever get, but I'll take it!" 

His laugh was like music to Qrow's ears… to think he feared losing it forever. Turning back to Clover, Qrow leaned forward and gently kissed him back on the forehead. "There. That good enough for you?" 

Clover pondered for a moment, his free hand on his chin. So dramatic. "Mmmh, no, I don't think so." He chuckled softly, placing his head back on the pillow. 

Qrow just rolled his eyes. "Well, you aren't getting anything else. You need rest, not a makeout session." 

Clover snorted. "Fine, doctor, have it your way." He laid back with a sigh, holding Qrow's hand tightly. "You know… I was scared too… but I had you."

"Jeez, Clover. I ran away- I left you to die!" Qrow’s face immediately wrinkled as he stared at Clover. He should’ve expected the topic to arise again… they still had more to discuss.

"No, you were just letting the  _ officials  _ take care of me while you did what you could. You were there until the last moment you could possibly stay. I don't think of that as running away." Clover retorted softly, desperate not to make himself cough by raising his voice. Still, it was enough to get his point across to the Ace Op.

"Does James even know you're here?" Qrow questioned, gaze flicking to the door as if the unhinged general would walk through there at any moment.

"At this point, I think so, but who knows if he’ll even visit… Qrow, I'm still so sorry I followed orders over you. I… I don't know how you can still care for me after that. I have no excuse for what I did, but I'm still sorry." Clover's gaze dimmed, shifting to his bandaged wounds as he placed a careful hand over them. "This wouldn't have happened if I had just thought clearly. Perhaps the General has had a negative influence on me."

Qrow followed Clover's eyes, placing his hand over the other man's, and lifted his scarlet gaze to meet Clover's seafoam once more. "Like you once said, we all make mistakes, don't we?" A soft, sympathetic smile rose to his lips. "I don't blame you either. It hurt- it still hurts, but I know you were just... following orders. I know what would've happened if you hadn't."

Clover smiled in return, his gaze trained on Qrow. Something in his eyes told Qrow that Clover was experiencing more emotions than he was letting on, but he wouldn't prod. Now wasn't really the time for a sob fest for  _ both _ parties.

"Just promise me you won't do something stupid like that again." Qrow's voice still wavered, even despite his attempts to keep himself under control.

"I can't promise everything… but I won't follow orders like that again. The General lost his mind, I see that now, and I'm not planning on following a madman." Clover brushed his thumb over Qrow's hand again. "But I  _ will _ try my best not to end up like this again. It doesn't feel very good breathing with a sewed up chest." He chuckled lightly, fighting a cough afterward, instead settling to ‘ _ ahem _ ’ to clear up the itch.

"That's good enough for me." Qrow felt the tears pricking his eyes once more and let Clover wipe them away for him. "It's good to have you back, lucky charm."

"You too,you dusty old crow." Clover chimed in return, holding his gaze for a few moments before the door opened slightly. The nurse poked in, making them both turn their attention to her.

"That's long enough, you two. Mr.Ebi needs his rest. Come along."

Qrow stood up, but not before offering Clover one last smile and a pat on the shoulder. "I'll catch you later." He hummed, turning and letting the nurse escort him back to the lobby, where he let out the most relieved sigh he felt like he’d ever made.

It felt odd now without Clover by his side. He wanted to hold his hand again, sit by his side until he couldn't any longer, but that's what they'd done, hadn't it?

Qrow was on his way to the doors of the hospital when a pin prick feeling tingled on the back of his neck. Looking around he spotted the culprit of his unease.

General  _ fucking  _ Ironwood. Guess he might have some kind of heart after all.

Qrow, desperate to flee before the General saw him, skirted along the wall as quickly as possible, his head ducked to attempt to avoid suspicion. He hurried to hail the nearest taxi, but looking behind him, he saw Ironwood look in his direction. The metal man casted him a look before turning to mutter to one of his guards, who also turned to him, and started pacing Qrow's way. 

Clover’s luck must have rubbed off on him, as a taxi pulled up just in time. Qrow hurried into the car and gave the driver his destination, and they sped off, leaving the General and his goons behind. 

_ “What does  _ HE  _ have to say to Clover?” _ Qrow wondered anxiously. He looked back to see the ever shrinking frame of Ironwood watching his car leave, and Qrow just knew he was  _ seething  _ beneath his façade. It made him sick.

Turning back to the road ahead, he tried to get his mind off of it, but he couldn't stop thinking.

  
  


_ “Is James going to question Clover on what happened…?” _

  
  


He trusted that Clover would cover for both of them, keeping Ironwood in the dark once more.

**Author's Note:**

> I know Qrow wouldn't really be able to visit like he does with martial law going on, but just pretend like it's fine okay shhh plot progression reasons,,,


End file.
